On Tuesday, February 22, 2011 Coast Law Group, Encinitas,filed a lawsuit on behalf of Heal to Ocean and Heal the Bay, Santa Monica, challenging the failure of the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) to adopt regulations or standards for the permitting and operating of septic systems as required by Assembly Bill 885 and the California Water Code. Since our formation in 1998, HTO has focused on health risks and environmental harms caused by septic systems improperly sited in areas of high groundwater, poor soils or next to creeks and beaches.
HTO is actively working on the development of the Santa Barbara County South Coast Recycled Water Development Plan for the Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) 2012. The Plan will identify the most cost-effective ways to expand recycled water use in south coast area of Santa Barbara County. Click here to see the plan!
Heal the Ocean’s Junior Council now has a Programs Director! Megan O’Meara is working to help our young adult chargers set up their next beach cleanup, as well as a dance, a Channel Islands boat trip (to include diving, snorkeling and exploring), and other activities. Megan is a dive instructor and teaches at Santa Barbara Middle School, and she has fabulous positive energy. Thank you, Megan, for joining us!
On March 13, 2011 the HTO Junior Council will hold a beach cleanup along Santa Barbara’s waterfront. (E-mail Megan@healtheocean.org for more information.) Santa Barbara Shellfish Company is donating 25% of its proceeds from anyone dining at the restaurant that day, who mentions the HTO Junior Council beach cleanup. Thanks to Tome White and crew at Santa Barbara Shellfish!
Thank you Santa Barbara Middle School for being the first to sign up for sponsorship of not one, but two dog bag dispensers – at Miramar Beach steps and Hammonds Trail! HTO is now working with Santa Barbara County Parks & Recreation to facilitate one-year agreements with businesses that will sponsor the annual cost of the bags for individual dispensers, receiving in return a highly visible one-year ad on the dispenser. For more information, list of dispensers and their prices, contact Megan O’Meara at Megan@healtheocean.org!
On February 3, 2011 HTO executive director Hillary Hauser made a special 15 minute presentation to the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board on our California Ocean Wastewater Discharge Inventory. The aim of the report is to help governing bodies understand the importance of moving forward with wastewater recycling in California. To read the report click here. And while you’re at it, try out the Google “Fly To” map!
John Robinson, a hero in U.S. space and ocean programs and a founding HTO board member, passed away February 13, 2011 and the hole he leaves in our hearts is enormous. In our early days John got out in the field with us, created the first septic system map for Santa Barbara as a gift from HTO to the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, invented the Abtech storm water filter and set about on foot to investigate Montecito creeks to see if a test area could be done for a HTO “Adopt-a-Drain” program. With his wife Francesca Cava (a NOAA captain), he brought in the huge NOAA ship MacArthur, to anchor over the Montecito sanitary district outfall in 30 feet of water, so that Francesca could pilot from its deck the Deep Rover submersible to film the outfall with media people aboard ship watching on television monitors. John did all this with and for us – and more. Please read about John in this article written by HTO executive director Hillary Hauser, with the help of Francesca, that describes his phenomenal work with NASA and NOAA, and also click here to read the NOAA press release about John’s passing.
The current issue of Santa Barbara Magazine features a colorful spread of Heal the Ocean’s 2010 Benefit in its R.S.V.P. section! Click here to view the feature.
- Consultant AB 885 lawsuit. We have hired former Assemblywoman Hannah-Beth Jackson, who wrote AB 885, to advise and mediate.
- Lawyer AB 885 lawsuit>. We have hired Coast Law Group, Encinitas
- Consultant Recycled Water Coordinating Committee. We have hired a Los Angeles-area engineering/political expert to guide us in formulating a Recycled Water plan that correctly describes projects that will qualify for future state funding.
